5 Things To Know

A visibly upset Mayor Richard Daley blamed parents for not helping to curb gang violence. "Parents should be outraged," he said.

Cameras for safety or profit

Ald. Ed Burke wants to ban consumer technology that would warn drivers about the cameras. He came clean recently that the city program is not only about safety – it’s also about the millions it raises for the city budget.

Getting a rise.
Chica-going.

Chicago has a population of about 2.8 million.

What’s next. She may already be rich, but Oprah Winfrey is looking to ring up more sales. Word came last week that the television and magazine maven will open a boutique near her West Loop TV studio.

Mike Ramsey is Chicago reporter for GateHouse News Service. He can be reached at (312) 857-2323 or ghns-ramsey@aol.com.
Despite the residential-construction boom of recent years, Chicago ’s population is shrinking, according to the latest figures from the U.S. Census Bureau. The feds said the Windy City ’s population decreased by nearly 63,000 from 2000 to 2006; in contrast, suburban Joliet continued to sprawl and gain residents (more than 35,000 people) over the same time period.Heat within the earth’s rocky crust helps elevate the surface of the United States and keeps it from sinking below sea level, a University of Utah study says. If not for the effects of the "hot rocks," they estimated that Chicago – currently 586 feet above sea level – would descend 2,229 feet below sea level. ? Watch out as you approach many intersections in Chicago. About 40 are equipped with cameras that snap photos of vehicles that blow through red lights; owners get socked with tickets by mail. Thirteen-year-old Schanna Gayden became the 25th Chicago student to die from gunfire this year. An innocent bystander, she was caught in gang crossfire June 25 at a park in the Logan Square neighborhood. Two suspects – alleged gang members – were quickly arrested and charged, but the tragedy cast a pall over the city.